Learning panel beating/spray painting

I am very interested in learning how to panelbeat/spray paint but don't know where to start. I've just finished my apprenticeship as a locksmith and couldn't afford to go back to school full time to learn something new, so is there any night courses or even short courses I could go to, to give me the basic knowledge on panel beating and spray painting. Could I learn much from reading books or is it something you need to get hands on experience? Any help or advice greatly appreciated! Rick

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Doing locksmithing (now thats an ancient and secret art) you must be familiar with Tech Colleges.Sometimes they have night school courses in different things including panel beating for Joe Bloggs' like ourselves and they can be excellent.I did one and it was on a Friday night, and we all kept going which gives you an idea of how good it was.Its best to learn the correct and safe way right from the very start and they have all the good gear.I understand they sometimes run them when they have enough demand, that is people who want to do it so its sort of depends on the no of enrollees they can get.Best idea is to talk to the blokes who actually run the coarse.I reckon they will run anything if they can get the numbers. Its work for em see.
It might cost a bob though which hasn't allways been the case but now it is I believe unless you can claim an allowance due to apprenticeship wages etc. Anyway ask them as they are usually very friendly and helpful, but I would try and get in there before enrollment day as that day is really messy.

No harm in asking them.You never know.

Edburt

(They used to run nightschool classes in panelbeating and nearly everything else also, at Granville Tech, Syd Tech and other Techs)

Victoria University Tafe runs a number of courses for apprentices, but may also run some if they have a large enough group (10-15) and the modules could be chosen, such as spray painting, panel beating, oxy/mig welding, lead wiping (that surprised me!) and a few other courses aswell.

Once this week finishes I am going to find out some more details and I'll report back the results for those who are interested.

g'day rick...
i've done a few course at TAFE, basic hobby panel beating, which was a night course one nmight a week and it went for about 6-8 months. when i finished that i did another night course, basic auto spray painting and that went for about 4 months. they were both awesome and i learned so much.. the courses set me back around $400 - $450 each, but it was definatly well worth the money.

Firstly I would like to add the best advise has already been posted. Back in the early days when I was trying to get into the trade - I didnt have the luxury of tafe course- sure they were around but bloody hard to get into at the time....and expensive. If you can get yourself into a Tafe course then thats the best option you have.

One of the best ways to learn anything - is to actually do it.... that hardly seems suprising but considering were I got to today - without the benefiets of trade school- its miles ahead of what I could have ever hoped for - and still learning /refining new tricks.

I learnt the trade by hanging at a Panel shop for two years ( no wages) and asking lots of questions- normally resulting in the answer of -'have you not got a home to go to?'- But gradually I was allowed some hands on experience and luckily for me I was keen enough to pick up on everything I was shown and had the ability as well as the opportunity to expand upon it.
One of the rewards for perseverence is to work alongside the guys that taught me many years later - and teach them a few things. (respectfully of course) When asked the question of - 'who taught you to weld like that?' - then thats high praise coming from those you aspired to.
Experience is definetly lifes best teacher - but you still need a foot in the door- gone are the days that I went through that professionals would let you watch and actually take the time to show you some trade skills - These days its all go and no-one has the time to spend passing on skills (I'm included in that equation...)
Its becoming so the old cars are dwindling in numbers and the new cars dont require the skills of old- so eventually there will only be a select few that know how to panel beat- These days its about parts replacement and a quick buck. Try taking a oldschool approach with modern day thinking and you get left behind in the race for the next profit wave...
This is why I have not gained finacially from staying with the oldschool of thought - there is very few $ to be made viably with my methods - If I wanted to get rich - I would be working on modern stuff- But is souless and not much fun at all... not to mention the un appreciative wombats that you atract with modern vehicles.
So I encourage you on your quest to learn panel beating spray painting - just dont be suprised when they preach about modern methods that are used on modern cars- and for your own sake - seek out the tafe courses that still teach the older methods of this craft..... Real panel beaters are a dying breed.
Goodluck -
cheers streetneat...(Click Here to view the world of streetneat)

Old thread, but this ^^^^^^^^. Couldn't agree more, Craig Kelly was our instructor at Tafe in Canberra. Did a night class with him, thought all the old school ways. Refused to let students use a slapper instead of a hammer.

I didn't have the luxury of tafe either and learned by just going ahead and doing it, I must admit but, the fact that I lived with a fairly highly regarded tafe teacher at the time was handy, especailly considering he was a vehicle painting teacher.

$450.00 AHAARCH. Just had a heart attack.I lived.
Thats a lot of money for a course and more than I would be comfortable forking out for.Ricksta might feel the same way also.
A couple of years ago I tried to enroll into welding to learn Mig and Tig at Gosford Tech but the coarse was full.On the way out I noticed all these lovelly lonely machines.Big muther mills, lathes, and drills etc just waiting to be carressed and fired up.$100 thousand of dollars worth easy and that was that,I enrolled I was in. It was machining but what i'm leading to is that both coarses were only $100-$120 each one, so on that basis a spay painting coarse or introductory panel beating coarse shouldn't be much more than that I would imagine.I dunno for sure but if they are it sounds a bit sus.How much paint can a bloke use.
Anyway I guess the hard part is firstly finding someone somewhere who will run a coarse because, as Streetneat has mentioned, these skills are beginning to vanish with the march of time.Its, come the enrollees come the coarses, so the best bet would be the major techs first.I'll look em up when I get a moment.

I am a qualified panel beater. I would like to teach panel beating.
If their is a college that is looking for a teacher in this trade, please contact me. I have 10 years of experience in panel beating.

i m in a real problem,I bought a second hand car and I was trying to learn it properly after taking lessons,and was trying to reverse in some narrow street,it got a dent near the right hand side of my Nissan pulsar,it's a old car though it looks good before,but I am really missing it's good look,it is a old car but it was my all savings that I ve spended in it,so i would like to ask you where can i go to fix it in cheaper price coz I cant afford more.....and it's not a big damage...only abt 8 cm of panel beating is required near the side light,please suggest me how can i fix it easily...tht will be a real help.please help me mate.....

I was also just looking into the panel beating course and also the spray painting one they both go for 6 months but I do not belive they give you a cert or anything? I think it is just pre-trade am I right? If I am wrong please tell me!

I would liek to think one could come out and get a job as a 2nd or 3rd year apprentice after and not start from scratch and have to learn all the stuff you just done in the course again.

As far as it being a fun job? I have a friend and her dad is one and he had his own workshop for years! and loved it and now he does it from home and makes a decent amount of money from it with no overhead costs.

Come on what could be more fun than working with sexy old cars and making them look like a real stunner and getting paid for it?

I bought my monaro 8 years ago from my mate which was front ended.since have pulled car a part and re- chromed everything, Have undercoated body and replaced to RTS chassis .But she has sat in my garage for the last 5 years collecting dust,Since having kids i dont get the time or have the cash to fix my baby,.Could any one tell me which T.A.F.E i can take her to get the Panel beating and spray painting done, I live in Burleigh on the GoldCoast ,Queensland, please could someone give me some light , thanks Joel Roberts. please e-mail me at joel.roberts79@yahoo.com

Probably best speaking with the head of that department or the people teaching at the local TAFE running the course in question, so just find out which campuses run the panel beating/spray painting courses by calling Qld TAFE on 1300 30 8233 to ask for contact details of local tafes running the courses you are enquiring about.

I spoke with a few people following up on this idea myself, who suggested to contact the people in charge of the course and go from there. I'm not promoting that everyone rushes out to their tafe following up on getting work done on their pride and joy, as there are things you would have to think of first:

Is your car insured?, as you may need to leave it at the tafe during the week while work is being done to it, although perhaps you might be able to drop it off and pick up your monaro each day.

Do you have a trailor? Have you taken the engine out yourself? Do you need to cover the costs for materials (paints)? and if so, is the quality to your standards?

Determine the skill set of the people studying on the course i.e. are they 2nd, 3rd or even 4th year apprentices who would be keen to undertake a quality job on a monaro (being good for their resume) or are they the average joe blow in a 6 month course who might not have any prior experience in body work?

Cheers

Jesse

—

Cheers

Jesse
ˈfiːnɪks/
noun
1. (in classical mythology) a unique bird that lived for five or six centuries in the Arabian desert, after this time burning itself on a funeral pyre and rising from the ashes with renewed youth to live through another c

I hereby apply for apprenticeship. I’m a girl of 20yrs, I have done my Grade 12 (Matric) 2007 and I have passed nicely and at Central Johannesburg College I was doing Electrical Engineering majoring in;

I have N3, N4, N5, and N6 Certificates. I’m looking for apprenticeship, to gain experience.
Your Assistance in this matter will be greatly appreciated.My cell phone number is 0793455992 or 0722465905, 0764480649, 0116212800

i do spray painting at a certain company here in zambia wich is proflight zambia limited wich is in aviation.
have been doing this job for two years now.
but i realy need a school in south africa which can teach me panel beating and which can give me a combined certificate of the above mentioned.
iwoud like you to advise me of the good schools which are offering such services